Today's News

Although I believe that the estimates are low, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) now says that there are at least 13 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.

Getting an exact count of the illegals is difficult, because they are not registered anywhere as being illegal. However, the U. S. Census Bureau estimated that there were 8.7 million illegals in this country when the census was taken in 2000, and immigration officials say that the illegal population grows by a half-million each year.

As the 2008 presidential race approaches the very serious month of January, the candidates involved just got some more information: a record 68 percent of Americans now oppose the Iraq war and our continued occupation of that country.

This is certainly not good news for Republicans, who - except for Ron Paul - just don?t have the guts to take on the president?s policy. John McCain, who ought to know better, has been utterly shameful in his defense of this Iraq disaster. McCain says that ?the liberal media? isn?t telling the truth about how the ?surge? in Iraq is working.

There's a story that explains why Virginia's state elections don't fall on the same year as federal elections.

According to this story, Harry Byrd, a former governor who also once ran the Democratic Party machine that, in turn ran Virginia, was not happy with the national Democratic Party. In order to avoid having his Democrats associated with national Democrats, he arranged for Virginia's state elections to fall on odd numbered years. He was afraid that an association with the national party would cost his party votes in state elections.

When we make a mistake, or do something wrong, we should never compound that wrong by failing to own up to the mistake.

A letter I received a week ago from Tiffaney Orange certainly points that out. I'll let the letter speak for itself.

Here it is:

What if it were a child?

It was already enough devastation that on Monday of last week, my mother had to come home to find her cocker spaniel, "Heidi" lying dead on her basement floor; a perfectly healthy dog that took ill, and within a weekend's worth of time died...

Although Veterans Day fell on Sunday, the holiday was marked on Monday as government offices closed.

It was a beautiful day for the National D-Day Memorial to celebrate the service of those who have worn or still wear the uniforms of our armed forces. It was sunny, with a light breeze and temperatures in the 60s as children from Bedford Elementary School, dressed in white shirts and black pants, sang a selection of songs for people gathered in the plaza below. Students from Staunton River Middle School passed thank-you letters to veterans of all services.

As Thanksgiving approaches, cooking the traditional turkey dinner gives rise to all the wonderful smells and sounds of the holiday season: friends and families gathering together, renewing old acquaintances, and lots of cooking and eating wonderful foods, including the turkey feast with all the trimmings that have become the focal point of our Thanksgiving holiday.

Bedford Middle School took time out Monday to honor this community's veterans with its "Take a Veteran to School Day."

Several local veterans participated in the event, including Robert Monk, the school's resource officer, who also was a corporal in the United States Marine Corps. Monk served as the emcee for the program.